The Right Thing
by Ms. Quartermaine
Summary: Written for the LJ Tracy Q. Ficathon. Challenge: Anniversary. Tracy and Luke spend their one year anniversary in the Markham Islands, but there’s just one problem: Tracy wants a divorce, and this time, she’s serious.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Right Thing

Author: Ms. Quartermaine

Summary: Written for the LJ Tracy Q. Ficathon. Challenge: Anniversary. Tracy and Luke spend their one year anniversary in the Markham Islands, but there's just one problem. Tracy wants a divorce, and this time, she's serious.

CHAPTER ONE

Insects. The pesky, little creatures buzzed around in Tracy Quartermaine's face as she stood behind a swaying tree. It had taken longer than she hoped, but she _finally_ managed to track down that damn husband of hers…The husband that she lend a helping hand to in an effort to save him from the brutality of the "foot floggers" of the Markham Islands. The same husband that repaid her generosity by leaving her at the altar...to rescue a former flame who was willing to let an entire town of people die.

She didn't understand it. What she did understand was this husband meant a great deal to her, and she wasn't going to let some conniving tart steal him from under her. No. So…1 container of sunscreen, 2 bottles of insect repellent, and 3 pairs of expensive shoes later, she was going to take action. She watched disgustedly while Holly Scorpio, in a slinky summer dress with printed sunflowers, twirled her way towards Luke Spencer and then gracefully placed herself into his arms.

"All right. That's it," she spoke to herself, right before running into the rundown cottage. "Lucas Lorenzo Spencer!" she screamed.

"Spanky Buns?" he sounded surprised. "You look—" He surveyed Tracy Quartermaine from toes to head. Her pearly white shoes were no longer pearly, but instead covered in moist sand and dirt. The bottom of her slacks had been torn, and the sleeves of her jacket had been rolled up to the best of her abilities. Tracy's hair was disheveled, and tiny droplets of sweat fell from her forehead. Yep. Some people weren't made for the outdoors. Snooty businesswomen fell into this category. "—um, good," he finished. "This will have to wait, English. My wife is here."

"I can see that," she spoke daintily. "Take as long as you like. I'll be waiting in the bedroom," she said, practically prancing out of the room.

"Oh, I bet you will be," muttered Tracy, but Holly hadn't heard. Oh, how she would have loved to smack down that floozy right then and there, but after a brief moment of thought, she decided it wasn't worth the breath. On the other hand, smacking down her husband _was_.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Tracy Quartermaine slapped him across the face. "I bent over backwards to help you and—"

"Ooh, there's an image I could get used to."

"Don't even," she warned. "Don't you even dare."

Her eyes were full of hatred, for which she was glad, seeing as it hid the sadness that she felt inside. "How could you do this?"

"Are you saying I should have let Holly die?"

"You want to talk death, Luke?" she spit out. "What about your daughter? The one that almost died because of her?"

"Not true," Luke insisted. Holly didn't withhold the antidote until _after_ Lulu had recovered. Same with your son."

"And that makes it all right?" She couldn't comprehend Luke's reasoning. Bottom line was that people lost their lives because this woman was too selfish to hand over the medicine.

"She was trying to make a buck." He spoke as if it was no big deal. "We both would've done the same."

"No," she shook her head. "I lie, I steal, I blackmail, but I do _not_ try and make money off the deaths of innocent people."

Luke didn't respond.

"And then you pursue a relationship with this woman…"

"Rekindle a relationship," he corrected.

She shook her head, "Because that's so much better," she spoke sarcastically.

"Well, Spanky, what can I say? You insist there's nothing going on between us. I have needs, you know. Am I supposed to just sit and around and wait for you to fulfill them?"

"No," she whispered. _How dare he make his attraction to Holly my fault._

"Ohh…so you do want me!" he smiled. "Well come on, Spunky. Show me what you can do," he paused, loosening his shirt collar. "Although I'm not sure _anything_ could top our wedding night."

Tracy spoke quietly, "That's not what I meant, Luke. You won't have to wait any longer because as soon as I can, I'm filing for divorce."

"You what?" Surely, this was just another game. He'd ask for a divorce, and she'd refuse. She'd ask for a divorce, and he's refuse. It was the dance they did.

"You heard me. You and English," she spoke in a delicate British accent, "can have all the time together you want," she began to leave.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm going to treat myself to a wonderful spa back on the other side of the island. Would've stopped there earlier, but was too focused on getting to you. Hmm," she laughed. "What was I thinking?"

"Spunky, wait—" He didn't want her to go. He hated this. Things got too close for them, and he'd take off because that's what he did. Commitment scared Luke Spencer. That's why Tracy Quartermaine was his perfect match in the beginning. They enjoyed being around each other. Neither of them actually expected their sham of a marriage to turn into a real one…well, as real as real could get with these two…but it had. Then came the warm fuzzies, a phone call from a woman who just wanted some fun, and out the window he went…literally.

"Good bye, Luke," she spoke softly, interrupting his thoughts.

"That's it?" He almost seemed upset.

"That's it," she smiled slightly, finally realizing that she was doing the right thing.

For a year, she had put up with the lies, the cheating, the blackmail, the humiliation, the kidnappings…the list was endless. And she wasn't going to deal with it anymore. Tracy Quartermaine was stronger than that. Daddy was right. Chasing after a man _was _pathetic and undignified. She should have never allowed herself to stoop that low.

"I got Justus on speed-dial. As soon as I can get a damn signal, he'll be hearing from me."

"But until then, we're still married," Luke insisted.

"Right. Listen," she ordered harshly. "I don't care that the divorce isn't official. I, for one," she pointed to herself, "no longer consider myself morally bound to you," she pointed her index finger at her husband. And then, she removed her wedding ring. "Here you go, Mr. Spencer. I'm sure it'll look great on Holly." She had no idea where in the hell _that_ came from.

Luke laughed, "Spunky! You're not serious, are you? Why would I _marry_ Holly?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Why would you sleep with her when you were _married_ to me?" It wasn't supposed to be about the jealousy…not even a teeny-tiny bit. Luke Spencer had proven himself to be a worthless husband way before Holly Sutton Scorpio Whatever-she-called-herself entered the picture. But…it was hard for Tracy Quartermaine _not_ to be jealous of the strikingly gorgeous, much younger woman…

PREVIEW: Tracy runs into Dillon and Lulu and tells them about the divorce.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Before Luke could respond, Tracy found herself outside where two teenagers were running towards her at full speed.

"Mom?"

"Dillon?"

"Step-witch?"

"Stepdaughter from hell?"

"What are you doing here?" Tracy asked. She didn't like the idea of her son traveling to another state without supervision…let alone another hemisphere.

"Our dads needed help, so Robin and I came down together."

"Wait, Robin Scorpio is here?"

"Well, yeah," Lulu condescendingly told her. "She _is_ Super Spy's daughter."

She sighed, "Yeah, I get that. Anyone else here while I'm at it?"

Lulu continued, "Patrick Drake. Not sure where he and Robin are though. Probably together."

"Please, I don't need a visual." She covered her eyes.

"Sorry," laughed Lulu. "So, Step-witch. It took you long enough to track down my Dad. What did you do? Walk?"

"Ha. That's funny. No."

Dillon whispered to Lulu, "From the looks of it, she probably got lost."

Tracy dusted off her jacket, "So what if I did?" she protested.

Dillon started laughing, "Oh, Mom, the thought of you lost in the jungle…Well, let's just say it would make an awesome movie. Actually, now that I think about it. I _really_ should have brought my camera. It could—"

"Enough with the film nonsense," she responded, cutting him off. "Excuse me."

"Wait? You're not staying?" Dillon asked. His mother evidently went through a great deal of trouble getting there, and it didn't make any sense for her to just leave.

"Do you WANT her to stay?" Lulu questioned. "Are you crazy?"

Tracy smiled slightly, "You won't have to worry about that. Lulu, your father and I…We…" her voice cracked slightly. She might as well tell them about the divorce. It's not like either of them would be heartbroken about it.

"Eww, do I want to know?"

"Wait, Lulu. My mom sounds kind of serious. Did something happen?" he was concerned, which Tracy admired him for.

It didn't matter that she dragged him all over Europe for _years_…It didn't matter that she left him alone in hotel rooms, so she could conduct "business"…Dropped him off on the Q's doorstep…Almost ruined his girl-friend's life…Refused to pay his college tuition…Threatened to send him to military school…Made him believe that she was dead…

Tracy was his mom, the only one he had, and if he felt something wasn't right, he was going to be concerned.

"I found him with Holly," she swallowed, not knowing why she was telling him this. Dillon, much like Ned, could see through her, and while both her boys could tell if she was hurting, there was no need to go into details. She didn't need their pity.

"Again? Oh my God. Are you serious?" Lulu asked, furious. "What the hell is my dad doing with that wench? Let Robert have her!"

"Ooh, tone down that language."

"Ugh. Why? It's the truth."

"Yeah, it is," Tracy sighed.

"Aww, you really do love him," Lulu noted.

"Haven't we figured that out already?" said Dillon.

"Well," Tracy smiled. "That 'love' you are wondering about doesn't exist."

"Then you're in denial," Lulu replied.

"No," Tracy shook her head. "Luke and I are getting a divorce. I just returned the wedding ring," she showed off her left hand.

"Wait. Mom. You're serious?" He didn't think she'd ever grant him a divorce, much less be the one to file for it.

"You bet I am, darling." Saying it made it all the more real. She never thought it'd happen.

"Uh, why? I don't get it." And he didn't. His mother, much to his surprise, had fallen for the great Lucas Lorenzo Spencer. She never ever gave up, so why now?

"Yeah, me either," Lulu piped in. "I mean, yeah, like I hate you and stuff, but you really cared about my Dad, and he really cared about you, so what happened? You of all people are not going to let some psychotic evil lady win this, are you?"

Tracy smiled slightly, "It's not just about Holly."

"Yeah, right," muttered Dillon.

She waved a finger in his face, "Excuse me, sweetheart, but it's not. My marriage has resulted in me being humiliated time and time again, and I refuse to let that continue."

"Sounds like you refuse to get your heartbroken," Dillon responded, wishing that he hadn't. Of course, she'd refuse such a thing. Any woman would, but it had been happening to his mother before she even brought Dillon into the world.

"Okay," Lulu rubbed her hands together. "Why don't you just turn around, go back into the villa, and tell my Dad how you really feel, and then, we can all go back to normal…or uh, whatever normal is."

Tracy laughed, "I thought you understood your father better than that. Even if I did love Luke—"

"Which you totally do."

"—I wouldn't tell him. It'd push him away even more."

"Good point," Lulu bit her lip. "So, how's this? Go in there, pretend—"

"Lulu, stop." She couldn't figure out what possessed Lulu to want to help her. After all, the girl hated her guts. "It's over. O-ver," she enunciated both syllables.

"Does this mean I have to move out of the mansion?"

Tracy chuckled. _That_ was the Lulu she knew. "I suppose so. You and your father both. In fact, I think I'll even save him the trouble of packing."

"Wait. What?" Lulu asked.

"If he returns and finds his clothes on the front lawn, I didn't do it," she winked before walking into the distance.

PREVIEW: Lulu is disgusted with her father's actions…or lack thereof.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

"Is she gone?" Luke peeked outside.

"Yeah, she's gone," muttered Dillon. He admired his step-father…a lot. Adventurous. Courageous. Ambitious. Strong…A lot like his mother, if he omitted the adventurous part. But Luke was just as good as a husband as he was as a father, which in his case, wasn't very good at all. "How could you do this to her?" he turned around and stared Luke into the eyes.

"It was her idea," Luke stated, definitely trying to shift the blame.

"You drove her to it," he replied harshly.

Luke knew it was the truth, "What's the problem? She is filing for divorce. Not me. If she's miserable because of that, then it's her fault."

Lulu decided to step up, "You obviously care about Step-monster, so why are you acting like this?"

"He's afraid to settle down," whispered Dillon. "Remember?"

Of course Lulu remembered. "I hate Tracy, Dad, but if you are _sooooo_ afraid of commitment, you shouldn't have married her in the first place."

Luke explained, although Lulu didn't need an explanation, "The marriage wasn't about that, Lesley Lu. It was supposed to go marriage, divorce, 15 million dollars in alimony."

"Yeah, but you shoulda known there was a chance she'd fall for you, right?"

"Well, yeah," Luke flaunted himself. "Who could resist?"

"Eww, Dad. Save it for someone who wants to see."

"Like me?" Holly Scorpio spoke in an eloquent tone, as she joined the three of them right outside the villa. "Has Ms. Quartermaine left?"

"Yep," answered Dillon. "Thanks to you and lover boy over here," he gestured to Luke.

"Hey! Who you calling lover boy?"

Dillon and Lulu laughed quietly.

"I was um, waiting for you," Holly said suggestively, brushing her fingers against Luke's clothed chest.

"How many times are we going to be subjected to this?" Dillon covered his eyes.

"Yeah, really. We've been scarred for life enough. Thanks a lot," Lulu agreed.

"I'll be there in a minute, English."

"I'll be waiting," she smiled, her eyes dazzling.

The teenagers pretended to gag.

"So, that's all?" asked Dillon. "You're going to forget that you were ever married to my mom and go to bed with that trash?"

Luke laughed, "Dillon, you're acting like Spankybuns and I had a real marriage."

"I don't know," shrugged Lulu. "It looked pretty real to me."

"You're confusing the hell out of me, Gumdrop. Whose side are you on, anyway?"

"You're confusing me too, Dad. I thought you at least respected Tracy on _some_ level. Come on, Dillon. Let's get out of here."

"Where are you two headed?"

"Does it matter? You have Holly to keep you busy. Come on, Dillon," she said again. Luke didn't bother to stop them. He had pretended not to care that his wife had just left him. He had made it her fault. And for what? Pride? She dumped him, and he couldn't deal? It might've been the truth, but he'd never admit it.

Meanwhile, Lulu and Dillon found themselves in the middle of the jungle. "You better know where we are," Dillon told her.

"We've been walking for what? Maybe 10 minutes. Pretty hard to get lost in 10 minutes, don't you think?"

"I guess," agreed Dillon who took a seat on the grass.

"It's beautiful out here," she sighed.

"Yeah, um," he swallowed. "Are you ever going to tell me why you were so supportive of my mom?" Lulu didn't like her. It wasn't a secret, so her sudden defense of the woman had Dillon rightfully curious.

"I just know she loves my dad, all right? I saw her the day of the wedding, and she was doing all of this for him, and I don't know. She just had this look in her eyes like…I don't know," she repeated. "I just think my dad's a real loser for treating her like she does, and it's not like I don't think she deserves it sometimes, because let's face it, Dillon, your mom can be a witch, but I don't know, I just…" She had been rambling. Talking about Tracy Quartermaine in a semi-fondly manner certainly made her uncomfortable.

Dillon nodded, "I get it, but you know, my mom's not _that _rotten. It's okay to be on her side."

"This coming from the one who sided against her _how_ many times?"

"Yeah, well, Luke's schemes are lot more fun than my mom's, and if I mess them up, I don't have to worry about him sending me away to military school."

Lulu laughed, "Good point. I guess."

The two of them sighed.

"Now what?" asked Lulu.

"Hmm?"

"I meant about your mom."

Dillon narrowed his eyes, "Are you planning something or what?"

"Well, we could maybe find a way to get them back together."

"Oh, kinda like the Parent Trap," he said. He just _had_ to bring another movie into this.

"You and your movies," she shook her head. "But yeah, sure. I think." Lulu started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" wondered Dillon.

"I never thought I'd be trying to get _your_ mom and _my_ dad back together. I should be celebrating that they're getting a divorce."

"So, why aren't you?"

Lulu sighed responding, "It's like I said, all right? She loves him, and even if my dad doesn't love her back, there's still something there. Besides," she smiled. "I'd rather have her with my dad than Holly. And well, this is, um, selfish, but," she didn't know if she should continue. "I'd have more time with my Dad if he stayed with Tracy. He'd never be around if he was with Holly."

"Um," Dillon bit his lip. "I know you like spending time with your dad. I mean, I hardly know mine." He paused for a moment to think what it'd been like if his father had been involved in his life.

"Dillon," Lulu whispered.

He snapped back into reality. "Look, it doesn't matter if Luke and my mom are married or not. Luke's _still_ going to chase after Holly or whatever woman 'satisfies' him, right?" He shuddered at the disturbing thought.

"Eww, Dillon. All right. Point taken. What do we do then?"

He shrugged, "Nothing, I guess. There's nothing we can do."

"Oh!" she shoved him lightly while laughing. "You're no fun."

"I'm serious though and," Dillon paused. "I still have a hard time believing that you want our parents together," he confessed.

"Wanting my dad around isn't a good reason, huh?"

He frowned. "I didn't mean it like that, but let's just stay out of this. My mom knows what she's doing. She wants the divorce, and she'll get it."

Lulu made a disgusted face, "I thought you cared about your mom more than that. Besides, weren't you just the one asking my dad how he could do this to her?"

Dillon didn't answer.

"It's so obvious she doesn't want the divorce."

"This is where we're going to disagree. Look. I think Luke is the most awesome step-dad ever, but he has treated my mom like garbage, and he's not the first man to do so. She's right to divorce him."

"Maybe," Lulu bit her lip.

"I know my mom, all right? This is what she wants. If she sticks around with Luke, she's going to get her heart broken even more. I don't want that for her, and I don't want _you_ to mess it up for her."

"Why are you being such a jerk all of sudden?" Lulu stood up.

Dillon also stood up. "I'm sorry. I just…My mom loves Luke, okay?"

"Yeah, we so know that already." Lulu rolled her eyes at him for stating the obvious.

"And if she once again insists on staying with a man who doesn't love her back, it…uh…It just won't be good."

"Oh yeah, 'cause that's specific."

"It won't be," he repeated. "Please Lulu, as your friend, I'm asking you to stay out of this. Let her divorce him."

"All right," she shrugged. "I will."

"Really?" he was surprised.

"Yeah," she smiled. "What are friends for?"

Dillon believed her…He shouldn't have.

PREVIEW: Tracy contemplates whether or not divorcing Luke is what she wants; Lulu sets her plan in motion.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Tracy trudged through the tall grass of the Markham Islands. _I am not jealous. I'm not. It doesn't matter what anyone says. I'm divorcing Luke Spencer because he's a drunken loser who has yet to treat me, his own wife, with an ounce of respect. _She realized it wasn't all true. True; the humiliation existed. She'd never forget it…how foolish he made her look, how angry he made her feel. Over and over again. But the respect also existed…

He helped her she solidify her position at ELQ…or he intended to, anyway. She helped him escape the torturous foot-floggers. He listened to her talk about her mother. She listened to him talk about Laura. She was there when his daughter fell ill. He was there when his son fell ill…_None of that matters anymore._ _It's done, Tracy. It's done._

She continued walking. _You know, I'm rich. I shouldn't have to be walking through this damn jungle in this ridiculous heat. I am Tracy Quartermaine. I pay people, so I can avoid this kind of thing. Hmm. _She laughed. _Who am I going to find to pay on this godforsaken island? And WHY did I bring these nice shoes? Would it have REALLY killed me to wear a pair of in-expensive, comfortable sandals? Yeah, it would have really killed me. What about gym shoes? _Ha! _Like I'd be caught dead in those. _She was trying to keep her mind off of Luke. It wasn't working.

Tracy put her left hand up in mid-air and looked at her ring finger…the one that no longer had a ring. She recalled the morning she awoke Mrs. Luke Spencer. She had consumed _so_ much alcohol the night before. The next day, she rolled over in bed, went to rub her tired eyes, and then felt something jagged. It was the diamond ring. She initially tried pulling it off, but it didn't budge. _–What did you do? Have it soldered on?— _It was a nice ring though. Probably more than Luke could afford…

_Luke. Goodness. _She decided to talk out loud. No one was going to hear her anyway. "You know what? I am doing the right thing. I don't need Luke or any man for that matter especially one that has consistently treated me so terribly, and Luke _has_ treated me terribly. Why did I put up with it for long?" She licked her lips. "Is it because I love him? Do I love him? I like him. A lot. And I cannot stand it when he's gone." Tracy paused. "Ha! Am I _really _that lonely?" She didn't want to consider the question. She had family. A lot of it. And surprisingly, they were _all_ on speaking terms with her, for now anyway. She should've never felt alone.

Tracy recalled the time Monica had gathered them all in the living room in hopes of selling the house. She had made a valid point. The Quartermaines _weren't _a family, or at least they didn't act like it. Edward, Alan, Monica, Tracy, Ned, Dillon, Skye, and "depending on who she was sleeping with" Emily just happened to live in under the same roof. And for the last several months, Luke and Lulu also did. It didn't go much farther unless some unpredictable crisis brought them together. It shouldn't have been like that.

She went back to talking to herself, no longer out loud. _I never feel alone when Luke's around. He makes me laugh. He makes me happy…most of the time. And he is always pissing off the family. God, I love that. _She laughed before her smile faded. _So, why am I doing this? Why am I willing to give this up? You can't have it all good, no matter what. So, why? Does the good outweigh the bad? Does the on again, off again respect and laughter overshadow the danger and degradation?_

It started right from the beginning. He drugged her, kidnapped her, bounded, and gagged her. He set up a plan that resulted in a homicidal maniac holding her at gunpoint…3 times. He lured her to Vegas, married her in her inebriated state, and agreed to a divorce, _if_ she handed over $15 million in the settlement. He later put another man in her bed and laughed as the mud-wrestler maid forcefully held her in a head-lock. Oh, and she couldn't forget that months later, he, although, inadvertently had gotten her kidnapped, refused to rescue her and pay the ransom to set her free. –_The million dollars is mine. I'm keeping it. Feel free to do the same with Mrs. Spencer.— _That December, all of PC shunned them on New Year's Eve because of him, and months later, he and her not-so-darling son Dillon schemed to "kill" her. Recently, he had just left her at the altar in pursuit of Ms. Sutton, now an evil psychotic murderess.

_I don't know. I don't know what to do. All those horrible rotten things, and I still don't want to divorce him. What's the matter with me? What's wrong with me? _

Tracy Quartermaine was exhausted. She had no idea where she was headed. _Damnit, Luke Spencer. If I weren't thinking about you, I would've been paying attention to actual important things. Like where the hell I'm going. _Frustrated, she sat herself down on a patch of grass and buried her face in her hands, "Ughhh!"

About 35 minutes from where Tracy sat, Robert and Luke were having a conversation inside the rundown villa.

Robert shook his head, "So, wait. Sparky Butt was here, left, and you _didn't_ go after her? What's the matter with you?"

"You just want to me to chase Spankybuns, so you can have English all to yourself," Luke insisted.

Robert chuckled, "Now, that's not exactly true. You two are good together."

"English and I are better."

"No. No," he disagreed. "Holly and _I _are better."

Lulu entered from the outside, "You two are _still_ arguing over that tart? On second thought, I don't even want to know." She started heading in the opposite direction, but stopped upon coming up with an idea. It was part of her plan to get Tracy and her dad back together. "Did Step-monster come back?"

"No, why?"

"Nothing big," shrugged Lulu. "Dillon and I ran into her again."

"That must've been fun," he joked. "Did she say anything about coming back?" he sounded disappointed, although he, in fact, wasn't.

"Not exactly. I guess she got a hold of Justus."

"So, the divorce is being processed? Good," he pretended not to give a damn.

Lulu just closed her eyes.

"Why would she come back then?" wondered Robert.

She shrugged, "I think she wanted to rub something in my Dad's face."

"Sounds like my wife," Luke nodded. "Uh, ex-wife."

"Soon to be ex-wife," corrected Robert.

"Uh right. Does she have something on me or what? Or did she just want to prove that that she was serious about the divorce?"

Lulu went along with the lie, "It sounded stupid. Something to do with the Haunted Star. Whatever. I just wanted to know if she came back," Lulu continued on her way.

"Wait a minute, Gumdrop."

Lulu stopped in her tracks. Was he on to her?

"I need more details."

"You _are_ slipping," laughed Robert. "What more details could you possibly need? I bet good ol' Sparks arranged it so she gets your casino in the settlement."

"That's ridiculous. She hates that boat."

"Ah, but she likes the money that boat brings in," Robert winked.

"Ooh, good point. Is that it, Lesley Lu?" He became suspicious. "Wait one second. Wait. Wait. Wait." He waved his finger at his daughter. "You're setting me up. You want me to go after Spunky-Wunky in hopes she changes her mind about the divorce."

Lulu's idea hardly took off before it burst into flames. She continued regardless, "Well, I won't lie."

"I knew it!"

"I don't want you to divorce her if it means you'll be with—" she coughed, "Holly, but I'm not setting you up. I wish I thought of it though."

"Lulu!" Dillon called from the outside. "You coming back out?"

"In a minute, Dillon." She turned to her father, "Look, Dad. I gotta go. I don't even know if Tracy is getting the Haunted Star or not. I just wanted to know if she came back, and _yes_, it was because I don't want her getting the divorce."

Luke inspected his daughter. She was definitely a Spencer. He couldn't tell if she was lying or not.

"Lulu!" Dillon screamed again. He sounded angry.

"Jeez, Dillon. I'm coming. See ya tonight, Dad."

Lulu left Robert and Luke alone.

"So, what do ya think?" asked Robert. "Is she telling the truth or not?"

"There's only one way to find out."

"What's that?"

"I gotta go after my wife."

Luke gathered his backpack and some bottles of water. Then he headed towards the door before turning around and saying, "And don't you even _think _about getting cozy with English in the other room.

"You're not exactly leaving me with much of a choice. Someone has to entertain her, bathe her, cozy up to her," the saliva practically dripped from his mouth, "when you're gone."

"Ohh!"

"Have fun with Sparky!" Robert called out.

A/N: Special thanks to DebbieB for the Haunted Star idea.

PREVIEW: Dillon is disappointed in Lulu; Luke plans to find Tracy.

CHAPTER FIVE


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Lulu and Dillon met outside.

"I thought you promised to stay out of it," Dillon was disappointed in his stepsister.

"Stay out of what?" she acted as if she had no idea what was going on.

"Don't pretend that you don't know. You made up at that entire Haunted Star story, so your dad would go after my mom. I can't believe he bought it."

Lulu bit her lip and refused to face Dillon.

"So? What do you have to say?" He was acting like a parent.

"Oh my God, Dillon! Jeez, you're not in charge of me."

"I told you not to do anything, and what do you do?"

"It's selfish," she whined. "I already know that."

"You said you were going to leave the situation alone."

Lulu rolled her eyes, "I lied, all right? I'm a Spencer. It's what we do." It was a horrible excuse, and she knew it. "I just…It doesn't matter anymore. It's all said and done now. No going back."

"Well, when my mom gets her heart ripped into shreds, I hope you feel personally responsible," he spit it out with so much venom that Lulu forgot that it was Dillon she was talking to.

Lulu didn't know what to say.

"You should be speechless," he glared. "She loves Luke. He doesn't love her. And one day, it's all going to explode. And it _will _be your fault because you didn't let them divorce when they wanted to."

She laughed, "You're going a bit too far, Dillon, and besides, how many times have they insisted on a divorce? And then nothing. And guess what? Nothing's exploded—"

"Yet."

She sighed, "I just played matchmaker. Whatever happens afterwards is out of my hands."

Dillon shook his head in disappointment.

Elsewhere, Luke trotted through the jungle in search of his wife. _Damn my Spankybuns. She thinks she can just steal the Haunted Star from right out from under me. First, she cheats me out of 15million dollars and now this. Who does that woman think she is? No way will she walk away with MY boat. No way in hell._

He paused. He had been rambling. Luke Spencer wasn't sure if he believed the Haunted Star story or not, but it gave him a good reason to go after his wife. No one would have to know that he wanted to go after her for other reasons…other _more sentimental_ reasons…

As it turns out, he had remembered their anniversary. Tracy hadn't mentioned one word about it, although he knew that she knew. It had been one year since he lured her to Vegas and made her his blushing bride. She was absolutely horrified. He, of course, got a kick out of it. Time and time again, both of them tried getting out the marriage, but it never worked. Some might have called it love. He called it, "not wanting to lose."

_Not wanting to lose. Everything has to be a game._

Neither of them wanted to give in and give the other divorce. That would be giving up. That would be losing. Neither them would _ever _do that…or so Luke thought. But that day, Tracy proved him wrong. He could see how serious she was about divorcing him, and he knew he was never going to get that 15 million. Seemed as though Tracy might have won after all.

_She's getting exactly what she's always wanted. What am I getting? _

Luke Spencer wasn't getting anything. Not unless he could prove himself to his wife. Obviously, he'd have to find her first.

In the near distance, Tracy remained on the grass. She had enough of the outdoors for a lifetime. _It's so hot. Ugh. Why did I wear these clothes? That's it. The jacket's coming off. _She took off the jacket that she wore over the black shell. _Damnit! You could've worn a light gray one, but nooo. It's 102 degrees out here, and you're wearing black. _She shook her head. _You are a fool, Tracy Quartermaine. You are a real fool sometimes._

And then she went back to talking aloud, "All right. I can't be that far away from the villa. The villa was that," she pointed to the left. "That way." She frowned. "Or was it that way?" This time she pointed to the right. "Oh, this is good. Really good. I should've have just stayed with my worthless husband and the rest of them. I should've known better. I mean, did I _not_ get lost on my way here? _Of course_ I'd get lost on the way back."

_Well, sitting down isn't getting me anywhere. _She stood up and decided to try again. Before she continued walking, she decided to reach in the one bag she had taken off the plane. She kept the rest of the luggage on the jet. No way was she going to be able to drag all those suitcases through a jungle… "Oh! Damn. I'm out of water. It is over 100 degrees outside. The humidity has to be near 100, and I have no water. Smart, Tracy. Really smart." She glanced at her watch. It had been an almost an hour since she left the vacated area. She couldn't be that far from the spa. She was strong. She could make it…

Back at the cottage, Dillon took a seat on the couch. Lulu reluctantly joined.

"I, um—," she began.

"I'm not interested," he folded his arms and acted like a child.

"I didn't think you'd be that upset about it."

Dillon looked the other way, "I'm not upset."

"Yeah, right."

"Okay. Maybe I am, but I have every right to be. You went behind my back."

"For a good cause."

"Define 'good' because my mom? Sitting on the sidelines? While Luke takes off again? Not good, Lulu. Not good at all," he repeated for emphasis.

"Well, hopefully, _that_ won't happen."

Dillon cleared his throat, "Yeah, hopefully." He paused for a moment. "You know what today is?"

"Well, I'm not sure what if we lost a day since we traveled across an entire hemisphere, but uh, according to my watch, it's the 19th."

"Of May."

Lulu gave him a "duh" look. "Obviously. What's the deal?"

"It's our parents wedding anniversary."

"Aww," she smiled. "I had no idea. They're going to reunite on their anniversary."

"They're going to go through with the divorce," Dillon wished he could be sure of himself.

"Well, that totally defeats the purpose of this special event."

"When did you become such a romantic?"

"When did you _stop _being one? Georgie told me all about you, Dillon. You should be loving the hell out of this."

He wondered what else Georgie had told her.

"Dillon?"

He stopped his wondering. "Yeah, well, if my mom's feelings weren't on the line, I might be."

"Not this again," she mumbled. "Maybe. Just maybe things will work out, and everyone will be happy."

He could only laugh in her face. They weren't living fairy-tale. Things would never end up "happily ever after."

Lulu explained, "Your mom will be happy because she has Luke. I get to be happy because I'll be close to my dad. You get to be happy because you have a happy mom who won't be sending you to military school, and you also have a happy stepsister who won't be complaining about her dad abandoning her. See? Everyone is happy."

"You forgot Luke," he spoke dryly.

"My dad is happy because he realizes Tracy is the one he wants to be with."

"Nice try." He sighed.

"Let's just wait and see. Okay?"

The stepsiblings where interrupted at that moment. "Ohhhhh! Yeahhhhh!" The voice was that of a woman's, and it was coming from the bedroom.

"Uh, where's Super Spy?" Lulu worriedly asked Dillon.

"Arrrrrrgh," they heard Super Spy's voice…from the same bedroom.

"OH MY GOD!" Lulu screamed. She and Dillon ran outside as fast as they can.

"EWWWWWW!" Dillon yelled covering his ears.

"What did we do to deserve this?" They were outside now. A good 100 feet away from the villa.

"I don't know," said Dillon. "I just don't know…"

Meanwhile, Luke Spencer trotted through some more tall grass. "All right. If I were Spanky, where would I go? I would head to the spa. Now…," he paused. "Where is the spa?" He continued on his merry way only to end up tripping over something. "What the hell?" He looked down and reached for the small object. It wasn't anything special. Just a rock, a shiny, cream colored, smooth rock. Luke inspected it, "Wonder if Spanky would consider this a good anniversary present?" He laughed at himself and put in his pants pocket. "Guess we'll find out."

And so he continued…A half hour had turned into an hour. Luke never stopped moving. One foot in front the other, sipping the bottled water whenever he needed to, but careful not to drink it all at once. He was going to find his wife even if it took him another hour…another 2 hours. He refused to give up.

The sun's heat seemed stronger than ever. Luke's wasn't walking as fast as before. Maybe his daughter had been right. He sure wasn't as young as he used to be. Adventures in the past had never been so difficult. _No, my little Gum Drop wasn't right. I can still handle myself just fine…Just—_

He noticed a figure about 50 feet in front of him slowly walking. "Tracy?" he whispered. He didn't know who else it could be. "Tracy," he said again, louder this time, as he picked up his speed to race over to her. Before he reached the figure, it had collapsed to the ground. Luke ran faster. "Tracy!" he yelled.

PREVIEW: Luke comes to Tracy's aide.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Luke reached his wife's side. "Tracy!" he gasped. Her pale complexion gave her an eerie ghostlike appearance. "Tracy," he said more calmly, shaking her slightly, but she just lied there motionlessly. 'Tracy." Buckets of sweat poured from her forehead. Her dark brown hair had been beyond soaked. He called out her name once again, "Tracy." This time, Luke sprinkled some water on her face. When her eyes fluttered open, he smiled. "Hi Spankybuns."

"Mmm," she murmured as she put a hand over her face. "Mmmm," she said again.

"Aww, not happy to see the husband?" He handed over his bottle of water. "Here. Drink this. All of it. I got more in the bag, so don't worry about it."

Tracy didn't speak. Without hesitation, she took the water and sipped it slowly. Luke brushed her drenched hair behind her hairs. Tracy didn't pull back.

"Better?" Luke asked.

She put the bottle down, so she could rub her temples. "You wouldn't," she cleared her throat. "You wouldn't happen to have some Tylenol in that bag, would you?" Her breathing was fast and shallow.

"Headache?" Luke asked. He didn't want to act too concerned.

"Yeah," she whispered. "Whew. Um—" She didn't know what to say exactly.

Luke answered her question from 2 seconds earlier, "Nope, no Tylenol. Dr. VanSkeemerman only has tic-tacs."

"Oh, please, Luke. Don't even start with that nonsense."

"I _do _have tic-tacs, you know."

She chucked quietly.

Luke held out his hand. "We should probably get _you_ back to the villa."

She wanted to tell him "no"; that she could take care of herself, but she couldn't. Tracy Quartermaine felt exhausted, and there was no way she'd be able to get to where she wanted without passing out again.

"You could probably use a cold bath."

She rolled her eyes, "I can handle that myself, thank you very much."

Luke laughed, "Come on, my precious little pink popsi—Well, I guess you're anything but a popsicle now."

"Ha," she said dryly.

He was still holding out his hand. Tracy took it and carefully stood up on her own two feet. "Hmm," she closed her eyes.

"You okay?" Luke supported her the best he could without getting too close.

"Yeah, just a little dizzy." She hated needing his help. She hated needing _anyone's_ help.

"Any nausea or anything?"

Tracy squinted her eyes, "You think you're a doctor or something?"

"Yes, I do. Dr. VanSkee—"

She put up a hand to signal him to stop, and he obliged. "Sorry, I—"

"It's fine, Luke. Just get me back to the villa…the cottage…whatever."

"Will do, Mrs. Spencer." He handed her another water bottle. Once again, she gratefully accepted. "Um, Luke. This, uh, what happened, I…It doesn't change anything." She was almost definitely sure of herself this time. The divorce would be the only way to go.

He pretended to be clueless, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm still going through with the divorce."

The words hit him harder than he expected. He just saved her life. She could at least cut him _some_ slack.

"I know what today is, Spunky."

She had a hard time believing he remembered the anniversary. If he did, he stupidly chose to celebrate it with a woman who wasn't his wife. And there she went again. Maybe it had come down to Holly Scorpio after all. Or maybe, Holly Scorpio was the final straw. That's what Tracy preferred to think.

"Do you _really_ want to divorce me on this very special day?" he played up the sentiment. "I know you know, Spankybuns. You don't forget these things."

Yep. He knew all right.

Tracy just sighed, "I want to happy today, Luke, and freeing myself of this marriage—"

"Will make you happy?" he looked at her strangely.

The two of them stopped walking.

"Yeah," she whispered.

In that moment, Luke reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the rock. "Does this make you happy? Happy anniversary, Tracy." She noticed that he called her by her real name. Not Spunky. Spankybuns. Sugar Plum. None of that.

Tracy laughed, "You got me a _rock_ for our anniversary?"

"Not just _any _rock. A very shiny rock." He held it up in the sunlight.

"Oooh," she laughed again. She looked so beautiful when she smiled. Her entire face lit up, and Luke enjoyed seeing her like this.

"I, um, don't have anything for you. I honestly didn't think you'd remember." She swallowed.

"Well, how's this? We go back to the shack. You get your cool bath. I promise I won't watch," he added.

Tracy squeezed out a smile.

"And then we can talk about this whole divorce thing."

They started walking again. "I don't think that's very fair, Luke. You give me a rock, but I'm supposed to give you your marriage back."

"Technically, you never took the marriage away."

"I returned the ring and promised to get a hold of Justus as soon as I could. Unfortunately, that seems to be a lost cause out here, but—"

Luke realized that she never _did_ contact Justus. Lulu had set the Haunted Star story up…as he expected. He'd have to thank her for that, though. Otherwise, he might have not gone after Tracy as soon as he did, and well…he shuddered at the though of what could've happened.

"Luke?"

"Hmm?"

"Thinking about Holly?" Yeah, she was going there _again_. "Never mind. Let's just head back." Her breathing had returned to normal, and she no longer depended on Luke for full support and balance.

Luke nodded in agreement.

The rest of the walk was rather quiet and peaceful, surprising considering the two people who were walking. A little over an hour later, they reached the villa. Tracy finally decided to say something. Barely audibly, she told her husband, "Uh, thanks."

"What is that Spankybuns?" he asked loudly.

"Thank you for having extremely good timing and stumbling upon me," she didn't sound as sincere as before.

"I saved your life, Pumpkin."

"Now that's being overdramatic."

"I saved your life. You save our marriage. It's up to you, you know. I'm not the one filing divorce papers here."

She lowered her eyes, "That's low, Luke. Really low."

"What?" he shrugged. "I'm not blackmailing you."

She sighed. "Forget it."

"All right. I shouldn't have suggested that," he gave in, very unusual for Lucas Lorenzo Spencer.

"I, uh…Let's just—"

In that instant, Dillon and Lulu joined their parents outside.

"Mom!" Dillon said.

"Dad!" Lulu cried out.

"What was taking you so long? How could you leave us with Tarzan and Jane in the other room?" Dillon questioned.

Tracy scrunched up her face, "Um, Tarzan and Jane?"

"You should _hear_ the noises Super Spy and um, Holly, are making," Dillon said. "Uh, never mind."

"Yeah, um, never mind," agreed Lulu.

Tracy inspected Luke's face. He didn't seem the tiniest bit irritated that Robert Scorpio was getting all the action with con-artist turned murderess turned tramp.

_It still doesn't change anything._

"Uh, Mom?" Dillon asked, finally taking notice of his mother's rather frail appearance. "Did something happen? You look um…Well, I get that the outdoors aren't your best friend, but you look worse than you did earlier."

She took another sip of water, "I'm fine, darling. I'm sure I look worse than I feel."

"Spunky here has a bout of heat exhaustion. She'll be fine." Luke told the teenagers, careful not to go into details at that time.

"Well, it is pretty hot out here," Dillon noted. "But better out here in the heat than in there with the uh, you know—" He was cut off by Robert and Holly's entrance.

"Look who's back!" said Robert.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Holly spoke in a sarcastic tone. "Um, what happened to you?"

Tracy could only glare. "I'll be inside," she said.

"You're going to have us let move the bathtub out of living room," Luke laughed.

"Oh, right. Not all women find pleasure in flaunting themselves in front of anything with a p—." She stopped herself. "Never mind."

"Well, not all women have something to flaunt," Holly whispered.

"You tart," Tracy spit out.

"Ladies, ladies," Luke stopped them before thing got uglier.

"It's gonna be a long night," muttered Robert.

PREVIEW: Luke isn't ready to give up.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

The bath cooled Tracy Quartermaine tremendously…both figuratively and literally. If only she had something _besides_ Holly's bathrobe to change into. She was _thisclose _to just putting on her old garments, but just couldn't. The stench alone had been enough for her to reconsider.

To approach the husband…or not the approach the husband? Tracy couldn't decide. He would obviously come to her eventually. _Should I ruin the peace? _

She laughed at herself and headed into the main room, moving slowly and quietly, careful not to interrupt.

Robert Scorpio and Luke Spencer sat on the sofa. Tracy smiled, not seeing any sign of Holly.

"So…" Robert inquired. "Did ya ever find out about the Haunted Star? Your little Princess outsmarted you, didn't she?"

_What the hell is he talking about? _Tracy lurked in the near distance.

"She's not getting the Haunted Star in the settlement."

_The settlement? Lulu? _A lump formed in her throat. _He went after me because of that?_ _Lulu set it up? _She wasn't feeling very _cool_ anymore. Tracy processed everything as fast as she could. _Lulu tells him I get the damn boat in the divorce settlement. That gives him a reason to come after me. How could I be so foolish to think that it could be about something else? Like he actually gives a damn about me. Goodness, Tracy! _The tears started to form, but she refused to let them fall.

"I knew it all along though," Luke told his best friend.

_Wait. What?_

"There's no way in hell Spankybuns could ever contact Justus out here. It's impossible to get a signal, so, no," Luke insisted. "Lesley Lulu did _not_ get the best of me. I am not slipping."

Robert wondered out loud, "Then, _why_ did you go after her?"

Luke couldn't tell him the real reason.

_Why did he go after me?_

"Could it be that you love your Sparky Butt after all?"

Luke didn't reveal an ounce of emotion. Tracy didn't expect him too. Still…she stood there, waiting for whatever his response might be.

"Sparky and I don't believe in love."

"You still haven't given me an answer," Robert persisted. "You know," he shook his head. "I'm convinced Lulu did outwit your old self, and you refuse to admit it. Let's be honest here. You're not as sharp as you used to be, Luke Spencer."

He knew exactly the kind of game Robert was playing, but there was no way he was going to admit the real reason for going after his wife.

Tracy shut her eyes. She knew the game Robert was playing too. It wasn't going to work. At least, she had been given hope that Luke didn't go after because of some stupid casino. Something else was going on. Something that dealt with emotions. Something, of course, Luke, much like his wife, would never disclose.

"You loooooove her," Robert teased.

_He pulled the same stunt with me. _Tracy, arms folded across her chest, remained in the distance…eavesdropping, hoping that Luke and Robert wouldn't catch her.

And still…no answer. Tracy took this over the straight out "no." She smiled satisfyingly and slinked back into the bedroom. She propped herself using some pillows and closed her eyes.

It couldn't have been more than 15 minutes later when she was awakened by a light knock on the door. "Can I come in?" the voice said.

Tracy sighed heavily. "Yeah, sure."

Luke entered cautiously without realizing that Lulu and Dillon had been following. The two teenagers stayed behind the closed door and listened in.

"This is _so_ working out perfectly," Lulu giggled.

"Shh," Dillon warned. "And I'm telling you. My mom's winning this one."

Inside, Luke went to sit next to Tracy on the bed. "So…"

_I'm still getting the divorce no matter what he says._

"Rough day?" he went to stroke her cheek.

"You could say that." Tracy smiled gently, slowly turning away from her husband.

"I'm sorry about um—"

She anxiously awaited the apology, even though she had a good feeling it wouldn't change a thing.

Luke continued, "I'm sorry...about what has happened."

"Too much has happened," she paused to sigh. "An apology isn't going to make it all right."

"It's just a start, isn't it?" Luke asked.

She cupped her hand under his chin, "You're almost sounding desperate, Luke Spencer."

"I want to make this work," he spoke softly and sincerely, and Tracy Quartermaine _wanted_ to believe him. In fact, she _did_ believe him. But she chose to let him continue…let him grovel. She at least deserved that much.

"I want to make this work," he repeated. "Our marriage. We have somethin' here, Spunky. Somethin' good."

_We had something good. _It had become part of the past. A past Tracy had no interested in revisiting.

"I don't want this ruined. Let's not ruin this, all right?" Luke _really _didn't want this ruined. He didn't want to return to Port Charles and realize what he'd lost. He didn't mean the Quartermaine breakfasts, the around the clock maid service, the free booze, or _any_ of that. Luke Spencer meant his wife, Tracy Quartermaine…His determined, feisty, cut-throat, yet affectionate when appropriate wife. He fought her. She fought back. They were indeed the perfect match.

"Oh, it's too late for that," Tracy said delicately.

On the other side of the door, Lulu frowned.

"My mom's still winning," noted Dillon with a wink.

"What?" Luke whispered. She detected a tiny bit of pain in his voice, and while part of her wanted to take it back and throw herself into his arms, the stronger part of her didn't. _He's hurting? Good. He deserves it._

"Tracy, look. It's never too late." He took her by the hand.

"Don't touch me," she spit out.

Lulu and Dillon, who couldn't see what was going on, exchanged a nervous glance. They didn't even want to _think_ about any "touching" going on between their parents.

Inside, Luke released her hand from his grip. "Tracy, do you remember that one day. We, um, came up with different scenarios of what would've happened had we met when—"

She nodded. "Yeah. Had we met when we were younger."

"Exactly." He was grateful that she was taking part in the conversation.

"And I said it didn't matter because we didn't meet. Ergo, no use in speculating." She didn't want him to continue. The day was a good day. One of those days that reminded her why she stayed with her husband for so long…She was trying to forget those days.

"I said that it wasn't too late? Remember, Tracy?"

He used "Tracy" 3 times in the last 30 seconds. He wasn't playing any games this time.

"I remember," she licked her lips.

"And I told you—," he was interrupted.

"I know. I know. That you could take me places. Make me feel happier than I ever been." Her voice was cracking. It was evident at how uncomfortable she was. Tracy Quartermaine just wanted the divorce. Why was her husband doing this?

"And you believed me. I know you did, Tracy. So, let's try again. Okay? Here—," he took her hand again, holding it firmly, so she couldn't yank it away. With his other hand, he reached into his pocket and showed her the ring she had removed earlier, "Allow me."

She couldn't _believe_ what he was doing. He wasn't going to propose again. He wasn't. Well, she didn't remember the first proposal, but that wasn't the point.

"Tracy Quartermaine, this diamond might've not meant a hell of a lot a year ago, but it means something _now_." He slipped in on her finger.

"Don't fall it for it, Mom," Dillon muttered to himself. "Don't fall for it."

"Oh, this sounds so sweet," Lulu smiled contently.

In the bedroom, Tracy could see Luke preparing what to say next and was seriously considering laughing in his face. Nah, she'd let him make a fool out himself first, and _then_ laugh in his face. "So, what do say? Will you continue to give me the joy and honor of being your husband?"

And, she of coursed laughed. Loudly…harshly…obnoxiously.

"I'm serious."

She wiped the grin off her face, "So am I."

PREVIEW: Tracy and Luke bust Dillon and Lulu for eavesdropping. After dinner, Tracy wants to speak with her husband.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

Inside the room, Tracy Quartermaine removed the ring in front of her husband before whispering, "How about you give me the joy and honor of being a really good friend?"

Lulu's smiled faded. That's not what she was going for.

"Friends would be good," Dillon thought aloud.

"What about a really good husband?" Luke responded to his wife in a rather perky tone. He knew it wasn't any use, but he wasn't one to give up completely.

"Nice try, Lukey."

He needed to accept it. "So, that's it?"

She nodded. "That's it." Tracy leaned in to hug him. "That's it."

Luke didn't have the words. He just stared at her, looking very empty and old all of a sudden.

"I, um, want you to know," she spoke delicately, "that it's not just because of Holly."

"I know," he nodded. He was aware at how horribly he treated her long before Holly entered the picture.

She closed her eyes and swallowed, "I deserved better."

Her sharp voice pierced Luke's heart. He tried again, "You did deserve better. I can do better. I—"

She pressed a finger to his lips. "Shh. That's it," she repeated.

"I need to do the right thing, Luke, and hmm," she laughed. "This is the right thing."

"Are you sure?" he went to caress her cheek, but she moved his hand away.

"Yes, I'm sure." And for the first time since she made her decision, she _was_ sure.

An icy silence took over the room, and the teenagers who were waiting behind the door noticed. "Why did it go quiet?" Lulu whispered to Dillon. "Shhh," he replied.

"Lulu! Dillon!" Tracy called out.

"Oh, we are so busted," Lulu covered her hand with her face. Luke walked over the door and saw his daughter and stepson sitting on the ground. "Well, hello there!"

"Uh, hi dad," she waved as she and Dillon stood up.

"You two heard everything, didn't you?"

Lulu nodded. "You tried really hard to get Step Monster back. I'll give you an A for effort, Dad."

Tracy laughed at her.

"And _you_, Mom," Dillon entered the room. "Get an A for doing the right thing…that is, _if_ you follow through."

"Oh, I plan on following through, all right. She was suspicious of her son though, "I thought you _liked_ me being marrying to Luke. Why would you want us to divorce?"

"I _liked_ having Luke as a stepfather. There's a difference," he noted. He was careful not to divulge the entire truth…that he didn't wish to see his mother get her heartbroken.

"So, now what?" wondered Lulu.

"We fly back to Port Charles hopefully sooner than later and make this all official," Tracy told them.

Luke didn't argue anymore.

"But before that?" asked Dillon.

"Dinner!" cried Robert Scorpio. "Roasted snake for Sparky and Luke's anniversary! Come and get it!"

Tracy rolled her eyes. "Roasted Snake? On our anniversary?" She gagged.

"Bet the rock I gave you is looking like a pretty good gift right about now."

"You gave my mom a rock? Oh, Luke!"

The 4 of them laughed.

"What? It was a really nice rock!" he insisted. "Show it to 'em, Spanky." She proceeded to open the drawer to the nightstand next to the bed. Luke reached into the drawer and pulled it out, "Isn't it a beauty?"

There was more laughter.

Robert called out again, "Dinner!"

"Ready to enjoy one of our last dinners as husband and wife? You can even wear the ring if your heart desires," he waved the piece of jewelry in front of her.

Dillon answered for her, "She doesn't care about the jewelry. She cares about doing the right thing."

"God! How many times are we going to repeat that?" Lulu loudly asked.

Tracy looked directly into Luke's eyes, "How's this? I'm ready to enjoy one of our first dinners as really good friends."

"I'm getting the feeling that we're repeating ourselves again," Lulu spoke in a sing-song voice.

Luke held out his hand, "Sounds good. What are we waiting for?" Tracy smiled slightly and took his hand. Nothing wrong with having a really good friend escorting her to dinner. "Happy anniversary," he whispered.

"Happy anniversary."

She was happy. Luke could see in her face, hear it in her voice. He wished it was good enough for him. It _should've_ been good enough. After all, if she was in fact happy, then he should've been too. But since he wasn't, he held onto the reality that she wasn't cutting him out of her life completely. No—Luke Spencer would have another chance to prove to Tracy Quartermaine that he was worthy of being her husband.

"You two coming?" Tracy asked the teenagers.

"Yep," Lulu and Dillon followed their parents out of the room.

Within the hour, dinner had been served and eaten, err picked at, and Tracy once again found herself in the back bedroom…alone…and with nothing to do. Her main source of entertainment for this trip thus far had been a novel. Unfortunately, for her, it had been stashed away with her other belongings on the ELQ jet, some miles away.

_Oh, what am I going to do? _ Tracy didn't feel like sleeping. She felt like talking…to her soon to be ex-husband, and secretly, she hoped the door would creak open at any moment, and he would saunter in. He didn't. _Hmm. Luke Spencer does not give up just like that. No. He doesn't. He'll be in soon, hopefully groveling at my feet. _She laughed out loud. "Gosh, I love the sound of that."

It was later now, and Tracy looked at her watch. 48 minutes passed since she first came into the room. Still no Luke. _Could it have been an act? That he didn't want to make things work? _Luke Spencer didn't give up that easily. Maybe everything that happened was an act. He didn't want to make things work. He didn't want to be a better husband. He just didn't want to lose. She was getting the best of him, and he couldn't take it. _No, don't think that. But what if it's the truth? Is it the truth? Oh, how do I know? I don't know. Oh…_

Suddenly, the right thing didn't feel so right anymore, and then she realized: _This isn't about my ignorant husband. This is about me and what I want, and if I want the divorce, then I'm gonna get the damn divorce. And besides, do you really want Luke all of people pining for you? You should be happy that he stopped groveling, that he hasn't been in the room in— _She paused. _50 minutes. Hmm. Almost an hour. Goodness, why is he doing this? Is he trying to make me second guess what I want? Damnit, Luke Spencer. If that's what you're doing, it's working. Ugh. _Her mind needed a rest from pondering all of this, and so she closed her eyes and let her exhausted self fall asleep…

"Tracy," a voice whispered. "Tracy. Are you still awake?" Once Luke realized she was sound asleep, he tip-toed out of the room. "Luke?" she sat up in bed.

"Hi there, Spunky. Sorry for waking ya."

"You didn't wake me," she said through a loud yawn.

"You're lying, but that's okay. Um, I needed to tell you something—"

"The divorce will be finalized no matter what."

"Yeah, I know," he didn't want to believe it. "But, I should still be allowed to speak to you, right?"

"Of course."

"Well, then," he walked over to her and practically lifted her out of bed. "Come on."

"Where we going?" she asked suspiciously. Luke had something up his sleeve again, and even though she wasn't interested, she didn't have the energy to fight it.

"Shh," he whispered. "I don't want to wake up all of them in the living room."

"Everyone's sleeping in there?"

"Yep. It's like a sleep over. Maybe after this, we can join," he winked.

The thought of all of those people being in one room and lying on the filthy ground in cheap sleeping bags didn't sit well with her. "How about not? Look, Luke. Say what you want to say, so I can go back to sleep."

"Not here, remember?" He guided her through the dark hallway. "I'd ask you to close your eyes, but something tells me, you'd refuse."

"Something tells me you'd be correct," she retorted as they reached their "destination." "Oh my God." She didn't have any other words upon entering the other bedroom.

PREVIEW: Luke has a surprise for his wife.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

Brightly lit candles provided the only source of light in the once, pitch black bedroom. At the foot of the bed, a small table for 2 had been set up with a wine bottle positioned in the center.

"Allow me," Luke pulled out a chair for her.

He was wooing her. Tracy never thought it'd happen. This, she would've enjoyed, if it hadn't been _months_ too late.

"Is that left over snake?" she gestured disgustedly towards her plate.

"Sorry, Spunky. Best I could do."

"Where'd you find the wine?"

"Does it matter?" he winked. "Come on. Have a seat."

_Did he really do all of this for me? _Tracy Quartermaine could definitely get used to this, but it wouldn't be fair to let Luke believe the marriage might work out after all.

"What do you need, Luke?" she pretended not to fascinated by what he had done.

"I need you to know that I was serious before about um…about us." He sat directly across from her, careful to only look at her, not stroke her hand or reach over and put that piece of stray hair behind her ear, no matter how much he wanted to. "You do deserve better."

"Yep, which I'm divorcing your ass," she responded wittily. Her left elbow rested on the table, as she cupped her chin in her left palm.

"Aww, are we resorting to name calling?"

"Aww, what's the matter? Get your feelings hurt?" she mocked him.

Luke chuckled. "All right, Spanky. You should know that I care a great deal about you and don't want to lose what we have, but—"

_Did he just admit to caring about me?_

Luke must have read her mind, "Yes, Spanky. I _care_ about you. Just as you care about me. Who are we trying to kid?"

She pressed her lips together as if she were about to say something. Instead, she just sighed exasperatingly.

"Ahem. As I was saying…I don't want to lose what we have, but if this is what you want—"

"This is what I want," she interjected.

"Then I guess it would be wrong to stand in your way," he picked up his fork and dug into the snake. "Of course," he looked up at his wife. "Wrong and Luke Spencer go hand in hand. I mean, really? Me, doing the right thing?" He started laughing at himself.

Tracy sipped her wine and looked in the opposite direction, obviously irritated with his behavior.

"Anyway," he continued. "I'll grant you the divorce, Spankybuns, but don't think this is the end. Just ask your brother."

"Ask my _brother_? What the hell are you talking about? What does Alan have to do with anything?" She knew she was missing the point here. No way would Alan have any part in reuniting his sister with Luke Spencer.

"Well, nothing really, but he and Monica have gotten divorced and then remarried, haven't they?"

"Oh, yes, and they're just going so strong, aren't they?" she joked.

"Well, it's been decades since he tried to kill her."

"Good point," she titled her glass forward.

"So, what do you say?" he lifted his glass in the air. "To our future as—" he paused. Tracy filled in the blanks, "really good friends." Luke started over, "To our future as really good friends and possibly even more—once I show my Spankybuns how serious I am about her and ask her to remarry me," he mumbled that last bit under his breath, just loud enough so Tracy could hear.

That got a chuckle out of her, "I heard that."

"What?" he shrugged. "I didn't say a thing."

"You said all the right things," she smiled. "You have been since earlier, and should you prove yourself, and I mean _really_ prove yourself, to be worthy of moi, Tracy Quartermaine, I _might_ just say 'yes.'"

"Wait. What?"

She stood up and began to leave, "You heard me, darling. Just don't get your hopes up. It's going to take a hell of a lot more than cream colored rocks and roasted snake dinners in the candle light to convince me. Oh," she paused. "And just so you know, I don't plan on waiting around forever. Good night, Luke…and um, happy anniversary."

She put her fingers through her tangled bed hair before shooting him a devilish grin and exiting the room.

Luke smiled contently. "Happy anniversary," he responded. This was his chance to get it right, and that's _exactly_ what he was going to do.

Special thanks to DebbieB for looking this over for me:)


End file.
